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Primary education

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Original poster

Is this fraud and what to do.

329 replies

froggola · 19/05/2025 12:01

Please no judgement. DH and I have been living apart for a couple of years but still together. Me and kids will move back into with him in September.
When applying for reception place I put his address as our main residence. I also didn’t say DS goes to nursery. As the nursery he goes to would prove that my house not in the borough is his main residence. I know that is wrong but I made the decision in a moment when filling in the form….Ds got offered a place and now school want a home visit. It’s feeling really stressful. What’s the plan? To go there and fake I already live there? Withdraw the application? It’s making me feel uneasy. I’d appreciate honest advice. I wasn’t intentionally deceitful, but I was. by omitting information and lying about my address. …which will be my address by September. If it makes any difference I’m on the deeds and have owned the house got a decade…

OP posts:
Koalafan · 19/05/2025 12:50

Of course it's fraud, but then you already know that. Do you want a round of applause?

Hif · 19/05/2025 12:53

You and his father own the house. You’ll be living there in Sept and the father has lived there the whole time. I don’t see how it’s fraud. People are very judgemental on here.

spoonbillstretford · 19/05/2025 12:54

I can't see a problem, you are going to be living in the catchment area while he's at school. Home visits are done after they start, surely? DH can provide a council tax bill, job done.

Hif · 19/05/2025 12:55

If you are very worried about the visit, why not just have DS’s dad accept the visit. He lives there

spoonbillstretford · 19/05/2025 12:56

Just move in before the home visit.

NorthernLoon · 19/05/2025 13:12

Wait, so you're planning to move house over the summer, and you've applied to a school near to the house where you'll be living when school starts? I don't see what the issue is with that. What do other people do who are moving immediately before the start of school? Apply somewhere in their current town and end up with a school place fifty miles from where they'll be living? That's madness!

Sweetleftfood · 19/05/2025 13:15

I assume you will notify any other benefits you are receiving that you are now a couple again and not single?

SheilaFentiman · 19/05/2025 13:15

NorthernLoon · 19/05/2025 13:12

Wait, so you're planning to move house over the summer, and you've applied to a school near to the house where you'll be living when school starts? I don't see what the issue is with that. What do other people do who are moving immediately before the start of school? Apply somewhere in their current town and end up with a school place fifty miles from where they'll be living? That's madness!

Yes, that’s exactly how it works, and you update the council when you have your new address, which likely moves you up waiting lists for your new area.

Dreambouse · 19/05/2025 13:18

Sweetleftfood · 19/05/2025 13:15

I assume you will notify any other benefits you are receiving that you are now a couple again and not single?

This might be shocking but not everyone claims benefits! Admittedly it seems most people do these days.

Mischance · 19/05/2025 13:20

I wouldn't get bogged down in guilt. In a way it is not fraud as you gave the address you knew you would be living at when school started for him ... and it is after all your house, not some random rental you have acquired for the purpose of getting a school place.
Just be open with them. They must have applicants who are moving in from somewhere else who have to apply with the address the child will be living in when they start school.

Original poster
froggola · 19/05/2025 13:23

Dreambouse · 19/05/2025 13:18

This might be shocking but not everyone claims benefits! Admittedly it seems most people do these days.

Show quote history

hahaha. Like a benefit fraud? No benefits here. i guess you are making unkind assumptions? I’m not sure.

OP posts:
Babyboomtastic · 19/05/2025 13:27

The alternative is that you'd be clogging up a place (which someone else could use) in a school you can't send him to, so that he can then go on a waiting list for a school probably nowhere near you, for an anticipated move. That sounds bonkers.

What you've done makes sense IMO. His other parent lives there, it's your house, and by the the he starts scum it'll be his primary residence.

This isn't the case of people using other addresses to give their child an advantage
It's common sense to try to get your child into a school in the area he'll be living in.

Hoppinggreen · 19/05/2025 13:29

Todayisaday · 19/05/2025 12:46

How did you manage to do all the necesary forms without the documents.
We had to supply drs surgery details, council tax and child benefit letters.
If youre son stays at the old house eith dad often then you can do the visit there and say he stays at both houses but that is his primary residence surely.

A lot of areas don't actually ask for proof at application stage
OP, you applied from an address you don't live at, its fraud and your childs school place is at risk now

Hoppinggreen · 19/05/2025 13:33

Hif · 19/05/2025 12:53

You and his father own the house. You’ll be living there in Sept and the father has lived there the whole time. I don’t see how it’s fraud. People are very judgemental on here.

I am not judging but it IS fraud, OP put an address for the application that her child does not live at.
Its not a moral choice as to whether its fraud or not its a legal one and putting a "fake" address for whatever reason will be considered fraus if the LEA find out.
Not the crime of the century I know but it could mean the child loses the school place if its found out

Dreambouse · 19/05/2025 13:33

froggola · 19/05/2025 13:23

hahaha. Like a benefit fraud? No benefits here. i guess you are making unkind assumptions? I’m not sure.

Show quote history

No, i was responding to the poster who randomly brought up benefits even though it's nothing to do with your posts.

Lovethesparklylights · 19/05/2025 13:33

Can't you just say that you are away with family currently until x date

Original poster
froggola · 19/05/2025 13:34

sorry was responding to the poster who randomly brought up benefits also! 😂

OP posts:
SheilaFentiman · 19/05/2025 13:37

Given that OP owns a house that is presumably not too far from her current rental, there’s a decent chance the temporary home would have been disregarded for the purposes of school applications anyway.

hairbearbunches · 19/05/2025 13:38

Stop overthinking it. This is not fraud, it's a complicated living situation which is going to be resolved satisfactorily from the school's POV i.e. the child will be living at the address given.

Jesus, it's not like you've rented a house for 6 months to get your kid into a preferred school with no intention of staying there. It's your home, you just weren't living in it at the point you made the application but you are going to be. I wouldn't waste any more time worrying about it, tbh.

RareGoalsVerge · 19/05/2025 13:38

Actually if your name is still on the deeds of the house DH is in, and the other place you have been living is within a commutable distance, then you may not have committed fraud.

This is normally operative in the other direction - that parents wanting a place in school X but live near school Y get a rental place near school X without selling their house, and they get caught out and told they MUST use the owned house as their address. This could mean you are ok.

I think you should just move in before the home visit.

Veganpug · 19/05/2025 13:43

froggola · 19/05/2025 12:21

I don’t know if it’s over subscribed. So I should contact the school or the council and tell them?

Show quote history

No don't be daft
You will be living there when he attends the school
So move things forward
Get your stuff down there and get settled in before the visit .
Or at least some of the stuff and start the move asap

Frateletheboss · 19/05/2025 13:45

Massively overthinking this op, the school have hundreds of children on roll they do not care this much about addresses. I suppose it's best to do the home visit at dads current house just to avoid confusion/teacher travelling to the wrong home

Fupoffyagrasshole · 19/05/2025 13:46

how is it fraud if the dad lives there - isn't that the child's home too

My child goes to a nursery in a different borough than the school because i work in the other borough so she comes with me!

the school never questioned that.

riverislanjeans · 19/05/2025 13:49

How is it fraud? She OWNS that house, his dad lives there also??

Stop worrying OP. People on mumsnet are so judgey!

You own the house and you are planning on moving back in.

Surely Dad has a room etc set up for son there? Do the visit at Dads house.

Hoppinggreen · 19/05/2025 13:49

Fupoffyagrasshole · 19/05/2025 13:46

how is it fraud if the dad lives there - isn't that the child's home too

My child goes to a nursery in a different borough than the school because i work in the other borough so she comes with me!

the school never questioned that.

The question is where is the child registered for the purposes of GP, Child benefit etc
OP will probably get away with it so no point in self reporting and Home Visits are optional